The present disclosure relates to reducing exposure to radiation during travel, and more specifically, to methods, systems and computer program products for route planning to reduce exposure to radiation.
Radiation exposure to the human body and to electronic devices is a growing concern, particularly for people who live in high-altitude regions and for people who regularly fly certain routes in airplanes. In general, exposure to radiation is dependent on both time and location and radiation exposure levels during flight vary quite strongly with both altitude and latitude. During flight there are two principal sources of natural radiation to consider Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCR), which are always present, and Solar Energetic Particle (SEP) events, sometimes called Solar Cosmic Ray (SCR) events, which occur sporadically. According to various sources, GCR provide an inescapable radiation background which varies over the solar cycle of about 11 years. GCR are at maximum level when solar activity is at a minimum and vice-versa.
In general, people are continually exposed to radiation doses equivalent to about 6 to 12 uSv (micro Sieverts) per day at sea-level due to GCR and radiation from the ground which is dependent on location. A two-hour flight at conventional altitudes (20,000-40,000 ft.) approximately doubles a person's radiation dose for the day. Accordingly, passengers and crew members flying on flights on a North Pole route between New York and Hong Kong are exposed to unusually high levels of cosmic and solar radiation. Likewise, people living in the high mountains of Colorado experience radiation levels that exceed three times the average in the USA, because of radon and granitic elements.
In addition to posing health risks to people, increased radiation exposure can also have negative impacts on the functionality of many commonly used electronic devices.